Philadelphia Union
Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com
Philadelphia Union manager John Hackworth spent a good 20 minutes talking with reporters during his weekly media availability Tuesday afternoon.
Here are some highlights.
On how new midfielder Alex Mendoza has fared so far, and how he came to the Union:
Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com
Major League Soccer executive vice president of player relations Todd Durbin joined United Soccer Leagues president Tim Holt on a press conference Thursday morning to discuss the new MLS-USL reserve league partnership.
"We believe that this relationship and the potential for this relationship have the ability to profoundly and aggressively change soccer in this country," Durbin said. "It's our believe that having a vibrant and robust lower division is crucial."
Durbin explained that MLS teams will now have three paths to choose from in operating their reserve squads:
Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com
Major League Soccer made one of the biggest announcements in its 18-year history on Wednesday, unveiling a partnership with the United Soccer Leagues to run its Reserve League within the USL PRO league structure.
Starting this year, there will be interleague play between USL PRO and MLS Reserve League teams. This will include the creation of several formal affiliations between USL and MLS clubs.
Although no official affiliations were detailed in the USL's release, I can confirm that the Philadelphia Union will be paired up with the Harrisburg City Islanders. This continues a relationship which has existed less formally since the Union’s inception, as players have moved back and forth between the clubs via loans. Now the City Islanders will actually be the Union’s reserve team.
Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com
INDIANAPOLIS - While there might not be a standout star in this year's SuperDraft, there are plenty of under-the-radar names with real pro prospects.
And as I wrote in my SuperDraft preview, the Union have a history of finding talent under the radar. They'll have two opportunities to do so today, with the 26th and 29th overall selections.
The SuperDraft officially begins at noon. I'll be hosting a live chat throughout the event, and I encourage you to send in questions about today's events and anything else soccer-related that's on your mind.
Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com
INDIANAPOLIS – This college sports-crazed city is still in the process of catching on to the world's game the way other parts of America have. Still, it's fitting that Major League Soccer's annual convergence with the college game will take place this year a few blocks from the NCAA's headquarters.
The 2013 MLS SuperDraft features few sure-fire prospects. There aren't many names that fans who don't follow college soccer closely would recognize.
And the Union probably wouldn't have a shot at that kind of player, since they don't have a first-round draft pick this year. The team traded that pick to Vancouver in order to acquire defender Bakary Soumaré.
Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com
The Portland Timbers' raucous fan base will be featured in ESPN's first MLS broadcast of the 2013 season. (Rick Bowmer/AP file photo)
(UPDATE: I originally said there's a tripleheader on NBC and NBC Sports Network on October 27. That isn't true. The two NBCSN games are on October 26.)
Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com
The Philadelphia Union used the second stage of Major League Soccer’s Re-Entry Draft to acquire the rights to Colorado Rapids forward Conor Casey. A 6-foot-1 bruiser, Casey is a goal-scorer with the kind of size the Union have sorely lacked in recent times. He has plenty of pedigree, too, having earned 20 U.S. national team caps over the course of his career.
"Conor is that big body we need here on attack, and I believe he still has a lot to prove," Union manager John Hackworth said in a statement. "He has proven that he can be one of the best forwards in this league and for the national team. Our staff believes that Conor still has many goals left in him."
I don’t doubt Hackworth in the least. As I said above, Casey clearly has the physical attributes and the career pedigree to make a serious impact for the Union.
Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com
Philadelphia Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz and manager John Hackworth officially welcomed Sébastien Le Toux back to the team at a press conference Friday morning. Here are some highlights of what they had to say. There's also a video report from The Inquirer's Marc Narducci.
Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com
Major League Soccer has announced the full list of players who are eligible for the upcoming Re-Entry Draft. This is a two-stage process by which players with a certain amount of experience can become free agents if they are not selected.
The rules of the process are as follows.
Three classes of player are eligible for selection, according to the MLS Roster Rules:
Jonathan Tannenwald, Philly.com
If you have not seen Jim Curtin before, rest assured that he will be very hard to miss on the Union's bench. Just look for the tall guy with the curly mop of reddish-blond hair.
Yes, Curtin still has the distinct look which made him immediately recognizable in his playing days with the Chicago Fire. But in recent years, he has stood outside the white lines instead of inside them.
After retiring in 2009, Curtin moved back to the Philadelphia region. In June of 2010, he joined the staff of renowned youth soccer training facility YSC Sports in Wayne, Pa., and became its director of curriculum development.
Reach Jonathan at jtannenwald@phillynews.com or 215-854-2330.
